enlighten
pronunciation
How to pronounce enlighten in British English:
UK [ɪnˈlaɪtn]
How to pronounce enlighten in American English:
US [ɪnˈlaɪtn]
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- Verb:
- make understand
- give spiritual insight to; in religion
- make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear
Word Origin
- enlighten (v.)
- late 14c., "to remove the dimness or blindness" (usually figurative, from one's eyes or heart); see en- (1) + lighten. From 1660s as "supply with intellectual light." Literal senses are later and less common in English: "put light in" is from 1580s; "shed light upon" is from 1610s. Related: Enlightened; enlightening. Old English had inlihtan "to illuminate, enlighten."
Example
- 1. Did the list enlighten your sense of loss about your friendship ?
- 2. Its ability to enliven , enlighten , and empower is its magic .
- 3. The more horrible the events about which we read and heard , the more certain we became of our responsibility to enlighten and accuse .
- 4. It may be not absolutely right and we will spare no efforts to study this issue in the next stage , hoping that it will enlighten you .
- 5. I have just started to learn culture of consultation and am very near the surface , but some of the rules that one must follow during a consultation just enlighten me .